


I didn't save you, you saved me

by RoyallyRevolutionary



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Alternate Universe - Petstuck (Homestuck), Ancestors (Homestuck), F/F, Feralstuck, Hurt/Comfort, Reader-Insert, Trolls, Trolls on Earth, fem!reader - Freeform, kind of?, reader - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-14
Updated: 2018-07-16
Packaged: 2019-04-22 21:21:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,755
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14317395
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RoyallyRevolutionary/pseuds/RoyallyRevolutionary
Summary: Your average homestuck x fem!reader but with the extra angst and hurt because it's my weakness... Worry not! All of the characters will eventually have a happy ending, all of them.All the stories are independent from one another and have no relation whatsoever.





	1. Of beginnings

**Author's Note:**

> 2018, is there anybody left out there still doing homestuck x reader fanfiction?... Well, I guess I really need to write my thirst away.

It was late at night and you were freezing, you hadn't realized the party was going to end this late, you wouldn't have put on shorts then. You were returning to your apartment from a welcome party some of the first-years at your new university had decided to arrange. It was a nice chance to get to know each other, you had met some people whom you shared classes with and made some new acquaintances. If you were lucky those first awkward days of university had just been avoided!

You placed your hands in your jacket pockets and tightened it against your body. The party wasn't that far away from your apartment and you always enjoyed the night breeze, so you decided to make your way by feet, although you had to admit it was quite cold tonight. You looked up the street, it wasn't completely deserted, some late-night bars were open and there were a few groups of people minding their own business, but you didn't want to risk your luck.

You had made sure that your university was in a big city near the coast. You had been born in an island, so you always felt uneasy when you traveled and were unable to see the sea for various days in a row, however, you had always wanted to know what it felt like to live in a large town.

Your parents had told you to search for a shared apartment. You complained and told them that it was hard for first-years to make friends if they didn't stay in the campus, but they had none of it (that's why you really had to go to the party, even if you weren't thrilled with the idea).

You spent a whole afternoon scanning the web for a decent advertisement, luckily, you realized that your university had a forum for its students. You posted a new thread with your problem and some minutes later a student by the handle  _TentacleTherapist  _sent you a private message. You both chatted for a while and you discovered she was a girl, and a first-year too! She kept on asking you questions about what classes you were attending or if you had any kind of " _eccentric habit I should know about before we both find ourselves in a displeasing situation"_. After surpassing whatever test she had placed you under you agreed to share an apartment. You moved in first but you still hadn't seen her though, she had informed you that she was going to move in today, but you hadn't arranged any kind of meeting, maybe you should have helped her unpack her boxes instead of going to the party? Alright no, that sounds kind of creepy coming from a stranger.

You turned left and saw the block of apartments. You fished for your keys in your short jean's pockets and realized you had left them in your room. You cursed and prayed that your roommate was inside. Nice, what a great way to make a first impression, to wake her in the middle of the night.

You walked inside the portal to shield yourself from the cold, but before you could press the number of your apartment in the Interphone a high-pitched howl pierced the silence. You freeze and scanned the part of the street where the shriek had come from. There was an alley, however, you couldn't see what was going on due to a black van blocking the view. Fuck.

You were terrified, you didn't want to go and check. Thoughts raced your head about what could be going on behind that van, besides, what could you do? You were just an eighteen-year-old girl, what if they were selling drugs... Worse, what if they were beating up somebody. You didn't want to mess with the wrong kind of people.

But... What if it was someone like you being attacked? God knows what they could do to a person your age this late in the night. You heard another screech and made up your mind. Fuck it, you were helping that person.

You searched your surroundings for anything you could use for a weapon, your best shot was one of the lowest branches of a nearby tree. You managed to break a big branch, although if whatever was going on behind the van had -god forbid- fire weapons you were at a clear disadvantage.

You ran towards the van and crouched against the side facing the street, you quietly made your way against one of the corners of the alley and pressed your side against the wall.

"Goddammit just be still!" at the sound of a hiss (a troll?) you peeked your head and saw the scene in the alley.

"Make a barrier you morons! And for fuck sake Deuce stop hitting the troll with the fucking club!" Four men dressed in black were trying to corner a troll against the back of the alley. They were four in total. The smallest one had a club and a taser in his hands, next to him was whom you assumed, their boss, who had a knife and was barking orders at the other three. The other two men were as tall and as wide as wardrobes, one of them was carrying a big chain in his hands and a metal human-like muzzle, you saw a glint of silver in the other's hand.

Although the men were blocking part of the view, from what you could see, the troll was badly hurt. You gasped when you realized the liquid you were touching with your knees was the troll's blood. You looked back at the scene and all four men were staring at you.

The troll also seemed to notice you, deep...


	2. Of the Dolorosa

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The jade mother

  ... Jade eyes pierced through yours.

"Ah... Well fuck, see what happens when you morons don't do what I tell you-" But before the man holding the knife could finish his sentence, the troll knocked him down. She bitted down hard on the man's neck who gurgled until a sickening crack was heard and he laid limp. You saw that the man holding the taser gun was going to electrify the troll, so you swallowed the fact that you had just seen a man die and ran while screaming towards the small man. The branch made contact with the side of his face, the impact knocked him to the floor. The rush of adrenaline left your limbs trembling and you felt like puking. Then, you heard a gun cocking, you saw from the corner of your eye the barrel of a gun aiming at your head, you protected your face with your arms and heard a gunshot. Your breath was knocked out of your lungs when you felt someone impacting on you, you were about to move from under them but heard a low hiss. The troll tightened her hold on you and you stood still.

"Holy shit I think we killed it", said one of the men, though you couldn't make out from where "Fuck, we need to get the boss to a hospital or something", you heard steps and one of the men coming towards you.

"But what about the jade troll? If we come back without it-" said a high-pitched voice, whom you assumed was the small man. You could feel the beat of the troll's heart picking up speed, which didn't help with your nerves. "Fuck the jade bitch and go turn on the van, a neighbor probably heard the shot and called the cops, they could be here in no time". You heard the men cursing and the sound of a body being dragged across the floor, you turned your head slightly towards the sound and saw the shapes of the two big men pulling the limp body inside the back of the van while the small one turned it on.

Relief washed over you when the van was out of sight, you made your way from under the troll's body and kneeled beside her, your body felt cold and your hands were still shaking from the shock of it all. The troll was an adult, no doubt about that, your eyes were drawn to the bright horns coming out of her black short hair, they went from dark orange to yellow at the tip and one of them had a spike pointing downwards. You knew troll horns were precious due to their properties, so you assumed that was the reason why those men were trying to capture her, although that didn't explain their fixation on her blood. Her upper back and chest were covered in a deep black fur with green reflects, the rest of her body had short grey pelt. From the black fur in her back stuck two wings, they were somewhat dragon-like and had a translucent green color to them, you were captivated by the green... Arteries? veins? Flowing through the thin skin, then you realized that there was a hole in the lower part of her right-wing pouring jade blood. When she knocked you out she had used herself as a shield against you and the bullet.

"I don't know if you can understand me" you began, she turned her head and stared intently at you, her sclera was a deep yellow that contrasted with her jade irises, her black pupils where slits. She breathed slow and with trouble, "but I need to see if the bullet has come out clean, otherwise is still inside of you and laying down will slow down the blood loss" you felt her scrutinize you which made you avert your gaze, you fiddled with your fingers. She breathed out and rearranged herself so you could check her abdomen.

The moon shone brightly in the sky, so you could clearly see the bullet hole in her lower abdomen, which poured jade blood against the concrete. The movement made her hiss and she collapsed on the cold floor. Well, the bullet was already out and had miraculously missed you, still, you needed to stop the bleeding. You removed your jacket and tried to tie it around her waist, she observed your movements and hoisted herself when you had to go around her body. You managed to cover the holes in her lower back and abdomen, you gently pulled the sleeves of the jacket until they applied enough pressure and knotted the ends. The hole in her wing would have to wait, you didn't know much about troll's endurance or anatomy for that matter, but you hoped she wasn't bleeding internally.

You were fretting about what to do with the troll, she needed to go to a hospital, but you couldn't risk coming across those men, if the authorities found out about her being the one who killed that man, they'll probably put her down. You began to feel nauseous but cleared your head, even if you managed to take her to any kind of health service... Will they even help a troll there? What about your apartment? You really hoped now your roommate was inside, what a way to make a first impression-

"Thank you dear" the troll was staring at you with a kind but tired smile on her face, her sharp fangs poked and contrasted against her black lips. "It's okay" you tried to convince yourself "I've got some first aid supplies in my apartment" you stared down at your hands, now covered in fresh jade coloured blood, "Although I left my keys inside, I'm sure my roommate is in and can let us in, so I'm going to take you there" You tried to sound confident and looked back at the troll. She nodded and you gingerly offered your help so she could stand up, she was a head taller than you so the height difference didn't help you support her weight.

You both difficulty made your way to your portal, you were afraid some neighbor might see the woman troll, you didn't want to attract unwanted attention. The government banned troll slavery a few years back, making it illegal to posses trolls and marking them as ferals, meaning they had to live in the fields, away from cities, however, this gave the gangs the leverage they needed as an excuse to kill any disoriented trolls for their pelt and horns in populated areas.

You tightened your hold on the troll's arm around your shoulder and pressed the number of your apartment on the Interphone, your left side was drenched in jade blood and the troll woman began to feel heavier by the moment.

"Yes? Who is this?" a girl's voice asked. "Rose! It's me (Y/n)! I- uh, forgot my keys inside, sorry to wake you up this late, can you please open the door?" you didn't know how to tell her about the troll, gosh, you hoped she didn't freak out.

A buzz sounded and you pushed the door open with your free hand. You made your way to the elevator and pressed the button.

"Be careful with your horns, the ceiling is low" once inside, you pressed your apartment's floor number. The elevator began ascending and you addressed the troll woman "Okay, I don't know how my roommate is going to react to this situation, so please whatever happens, don't lash out at her" the troll woman was looking skeptically at you through the mirror "I'm not a savage" you cursed internally and added "I'm just- look, we make quite the scene" you stared at your blood-soaked clothes in the mirror and tried to smile nonchalantly.

"I'm (Y/n)"

"Dolorosa"

You reached your floor and slowly walked to your door, it was partially open, "Alright, Rose opened the door, luckily enough if she's as reclusive as she seems, she's back in her room, I'm sure we can make it without her noticing us" Dolorosa simply nodded resignedly, you added quickly "I know just, please?"

"As you wish" she answered impassively, you thought that she at least wasn't that injured if she had the strength for sarcasm.

You quietly pushed the door open and stepped inside the dark lounge, Rose was nowhere to be seen, although you could see a line of light reflected in the wall of the hallway, coming from her room. Your room was at the end of the hall so you quietly made your way there, as you passed Rose's room you saw her back was to the door, she was using her computer with headphones.

You got to your room and helped Dolorosa sat down on your bed, then you went to make sure you hadn't left a trail of blood on the floor of the apartment, so far it seemed your jacket and clothes had taken the worst of it, you returned to your room and closed the door. You placed your head against the door and latched it. "What are you exactly doing?" Dolorosa asked you, "Just making sure nobody can enter, you can still open the door if you turn the latch the other way" she looked suspiciously at you and narrowed her eyes.

"There's also the window there" you motioned at the window at the head of your bed.

"I beg your pardon-"

"I'll go get the first aid kit, give me a moment" you quickly added, fleeing to your bedroom's bath. You opened the sink's cupboard, took out a small red bag and drenched a towel with cool water, you returned to your room and sat down next to Dolorosa, who was not having any of your ministrations, you felt a pang of guilt. You placed the kit in the bed "I'm sorry, that was rude, you have the right to be suspicious after everything that's happened" she looked down at you " If it's okay I'm first going to treat the hole in your wing, but then I have to remove the jacket and properly bandage your waist" Dolorosa sighed and smiled tiredly "I don't really seem to be in a position to refuse" she faced away from you and extended her wing so you could clean the wound. "It's probably going to sting" you warned, before holding the inside of the wing with the towel. You took a gauze and pressed it against the outer part of the thin skin, the blood seemed to have coagulated because the wound wasn't bleeding as much as before, you furrowed your brows, it actually seemed to be smaller? You carefully released the wing and stood up so you could easily remove the jacket.

The bullet hole in her abdomen had stopped pouring blood, it was still a bright jade color, but it looked much better than before, upon your expression Dolorosa chuckled "I'm a rainbow drinker" she said.

"A what"

"A rainbow drinker, thus why I'm capable of healing fast" you gaped at her.

"I didn't know some trolls had healing abilities"

"Oh no, it's actually a really rare occurrence among our kind" you really wanted to know more about trolls and rainbow drinkers but felt that it might be kind of intrusive. "It's awesome" she laughed kindly and you wanted to facepalm yourself.

You cleared your throat.

"Anyways" you began, folding the dirty jacket in your hands "you are still hurt and I don't mind sleeping on the floor so, uh... You can stay here tonight if you wish to" she was stared attentively at you as if trying to differ if you were being honest or had any kind of ulterior motives. You were about to ask her if she was hungry when she stood up and made her way to you.

She papped your cheek.

What the fuck?

You blushed fiercely but she didn't seem to notice, if anything you just felt warmer "I knew that there were humans who performed acts of kindness, yet previous to this night I was convinced that like trolls, they were either dead or too afraid to act" she cleaned a jade blood stain on your cheek with her thumb, her fingers were slim and calloused with vibrant yellow claws "Thank you, for changing my mind". You tried to formulate some kind of answer but the closeness and shock wasn't helping, she realized this and made a chirping sound "Oh dear, I'm sorry it's just- you remind me of my older daughter and- it's been so long since I've seen any of them-"

"Um. It's okay" the dried blood was starting to leave a smell on the room, "I'm going to throw the jacket in the bin, meanwhile if you want, there's the bath" you unlocked the door's latch and stepped into the hallway, Rose's room was no longer with the light on. You went to the kitchen aisle in the living room and opened the bin, you didn't want to store the dirty jacket in your sylladex, so you disgustingly moved the trash and placed the jacket in the bottom. You should probably throw later the clothes you are wearing too. You heard distant sirens on the street and hoped the police would just have a look around.

You felt hunger nudge the bottom of your stomach, you should probably bring something to Dolorosa too, but what do trolls eat though, you drummed your fingers against the counter, as far as you know trolls aren't exactly herbivores so... Meat? But raw or cooked? Heck, maybe she's a vegetarian. You take your chances and microwave some pre-cooked chicken on a plate, you also place some raw meat on another. You open your cupboard and take a bag of nachos for yourself, you then quickly open the microwave before it can ring, place a fork on each plate and store the food in your sylladex. Though you suppose Rose is sleeping, you sneakily make your way back to your door.

You enter your room and lock the door again, although you highly doubt it, you don't want to imagine what could happen if Rose decided to enter the room in the morning. You retrieve the plates on your desk and sit in your chair. You keep on hearing sirens in the distance and pray to whatever deity might listen that the cops don't trace the clues back to your apartment. You retrieve the bag of nachos and begin munching on them. Should you ask her about her family? It might seem a little bit insensitive, but maybe she needs help? Heck, for all you know she might have escaped from some kind of troll dealer mafia.

The sound of your bathroom's door opening takes you out of your thoughts and you almost choke and your food, out came Dolorosa, the black hair on her hair and chest covering her breast shining, highlighted by jade reflects you realized that although her apparent nudity her pelvis was flat, does that mean that-

"I hope it's not an inconvenience, but I used one of your towels"

You stared back at her eyes, she was raising an eyebrow down at you, "Yes!" she frowned, "No-no, I mean, It's okay, use anything you need" you waved at the plates in your desk with your hand, "I don't know what trolls eat, so I uh, made you this" she walked towards you and took the plate with raw meat and examined it "Although I can't be picky about what I ingest", she smelled the chicken and grimaced then placed the plate back down on the table "I'm afraid that unless you have any kind of troll or human blood in your nourishment block I'll just wait until tomorrow to eat, I appreciate the gesture nonetheless"

"Oh, so you are kind of like a vampire?"

"If that is your human terminology for rainbow drinkers then yes, I'm a vampire" you placed the bag of nachos on the table and stared at the suddenly really interesting wall behind her, you gulped your fear down and said "As long as it's not risk I don't mind giving you my blood"

You heard a faint chirp, she seemed taken aback by your proposal "Oh no, It's not, but I could not ask you to do that, you have been a really kind host to me so far, I do not want you to feel obligated" she began folding the towel, her irises where slits and her ears flat against her head. You stood up and took the towel from her hands, "I mean, as long as I don't faint or become a vampire myself I don't mind" you said nonchalantly. She looked offended and you added quickly "Just let me, um, have a bath first, I probably smell disgustingly right now" you made your way to the bathroom and closed the door.

You placed the towel and your clothes in the laundry basket and stepped into the shower. You placed your head against the bathroom's wall and sighed. You should really talk to Rose about this tomorrow, 'Ah, yes, what are your thoughts on trolls? Whatever do you mean about this question coming out of nowhere? No, Rose, I'm not hiding anything, please don't go in my room' You washed your head and cleaned the dried blood from under your nails. You decided to stop racking your head and tried to let the cold water relax you. You stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around your body.

'Fuck, my clothes'

You opened the bathroom's door and made a bee-line for your wardrobe, at the feet of your bed. Dolorosa was looking at the books on your bookshelf, deep in thought, her back to you. She turned towards you, meaning to ask you about human literature but the question died in her throat.

"Oh"

You decided to state the obvious "I just forgot to take clothes" she turned towards your bookshelf, wings tense against her back. You fished a long shirt, underwear and scurried back to the bathroom. You stared at yourself in the mirror and cringed at your hair, you took your time brushing it and dressed up, then stepped back into the room.

Dolorosa was now sitting in the edge of your bed, you sheepishly made your way in front of her and stood awkwardly looking at your feet "So, should I sit next to you or-" she grabbed your wrist and urged you to sit sideways in her lap.

'Oh my god'

"Although there is no risk for your life and I'm afraid that there are no bizarre transformations afterwards" she began, you placed your hands in your lap ignoring her hands on your knee and back "The bite first sting a bit, so please, feel free to inform me if you are uncomfortable now" You felt nervous about the closeness if anything, you didn't trust your voice being even so you just nodded. She angled her head and leaned towards your neck, you tried to concentrate again on the really interesting wall of your room, and not her hot breath against your bare skin. You felt the tip of her fangs against your neck and shivered, you were about to call her out when she pierced your skin, the sudden pang of pain made you squirm in her grasp and the protest died in your throat when she rumbled and tightened her hold in your knee and back.

Holy shit- then you felt her tongue lapping at your neck and you froze, she drank the blood flowing from the tiny holes in your neck and you heard her chirp happily. Just when you were about to warn her that you were feeling dizzy she carefully removed her fangs from your neck and licked the remaining blood until it coagulated. You felt relief wash over you and attempted to stand up but your knees gave out from under you and you lost your footing before you could hit the floor a strong hand grabbed your upper arm.

"Oh gog, dear I'm so sorry I didn't realize-" you sat back on the bed and she released your arm, you rearranged yourself so your back was against the wall, you closed your eyes and tried to ignore the whirling sensation in your head. Dolorosa started fussing over you asking if you needed her assistance with anything, she began muttering to herself and when she placed a hand against your forehead you took it away and gently tapped her head, your head was starting to hurt. She froze, "I'm okay", you said, "I think I just need water" you signaled towards the empty mug in your desk, however, she was staring intently at you.

"What happens?"

"Did you just pap me?" she asked mortified.

"I'm sorry?" 'Whatever does she mean now?' She stood up and took the mug then made her way to the bathroom. You closed your eyes again and rested your head against the wall when you opened them again she was standing in front of you, worry across her face, you felt bad and thanked her, taking the mug from her hands. She stood in front of you stiffly and pondered a brief moment about something, she made up her mind and sat down next to you, curling against herself and placing her head next to your thigh, black hair brushing your skin, her wings tucked protectively against her upper back, covering her body. You drank from the mug and drummed your fingers against your thigh. A somewhat comfortable silence hanged in the room, your headache had faded considerably. "Where are you going to go now?" She tensed at the question.

"To the outskirts of the city, someone needs me?" you hummed and accepted her answer. 'When she says needs, does she mean another captured troll?' you stared at waves of the water in the mug and said "I don't have much, but if you need anything ask away, I don't know if money is going to be of any use to you but I've got some" you stretched out your hand to place the mug on the floor, then you realised Dolorosa was trembling. "Are you-" You heard a sob followed by hiccups. You swallowed your awkwardness and patted her head telling her everything was going to turn out okay, she fisted your shirt, curling against you and hiding her face in the fabric of your stomach muffling her wails against your shirt, with trembling hands you gently tried to shoosh her, you felt your heart clench.

This was not just a troll, this was a broken woman in your arms in need of desperate help, you felt your chest fill with impotence at your helplessness and asked her.

"Are they your daughters?" She sobbed harder and nodded, you felt the dampness in your shirt. You placed your hand between her horns and stroked her hair gently "I'm going to help you" you began "We're going to find out where they are being held and we are going to rescue them, then we are going to get you all the fuck out of here to some countryside" you continued talking, trying to convince yourself "I promise you, I'm really sick of the law ignoring this kind of injustices" you are probably fucking your future by neglecting the first weeks of University, but fuck it, this woman needs your help.

Dolorosa stared up at you, watery eyes piercing through yours. Sobs still rattled her body, but she seemed to have calmed down, you smiled down at her, she was holding to your every word like a lifeline. "I just can let you go and tell myself that everything is going to be okay" you realized how corny that sounded and chocked on your monologue, you blushed furiously but were relieved by the fact that she couldn't see your face. For a while you let your fingers dance over the locks of her hair marveling at the silkiness, but her weight and the wall behind you were beginning to hurt your back. You took her arms from around your waist and rose, she stared at you questioningly and almost heartbroken. you smiled sheepishly at her "I'm just going to make the bed on the floor" you stood up but she grabbed your wrist, you watched her and she averted her gaze, ears down and flat against her head, you realized that her tears had a jade tint to them, but her cheeks had become a darker shade of the colour.

"If I may inquire and if you don't mind- I will completely understand if you decline the offer, and it really is okay if you say no because I know it may sound too straightforward-" You touched the hand on your wrist and interrupted her rambling.

"It's okay", You said, clear jade irises staring at you, she looked mortified, her cheeks taking an even darker tone.

You sat back down on the bed and leaned against the cushions on the headboard of your bed, Dolorosa sheepishly placed her head on your stomach, minding her horns and curling against your side, tucking her wings against her upper body. You ran your fingers through her black hair and she chirped happily and quietly, you began to hum softly and traced the shape of her horns admiring the yellow to deep orange gradient, if you paid attention to the touch they were made by small rings that gave them a rough feel, you followed the shape of her horns and caressed the base that connected them to her head. You felt the vibrations of her chest against your side, your face was burning, so you decided to go back to petting her hair.

'I just hope I didn't overdo myself, I don't even know where to begin looking' you stared down at her face, her eyes where closed and she seemed more relaxed than before 'I hope she knows where to start looking' you decided to ignore your worries and focused on the low purring, lazily tracing the flow of her hair, letting the gentle vibrations of her chest against your side lull you to sleep.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, so it happened.
> 
> Anyways, I'm planning to do signless next, though this fiction is going to take a while, feel free to request any character, I have the attention span of a goldfish.


	3. Of Signless

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my god, this took me a while to finish.

... Candy red eyes pierced through yours.

An adult troll was crouching at the end of the alleyway clutching their side with one of their hands, a long grey tail with a bright crimson pincer swayed dangerously behind them-

The high-pitched voice of one of the goons took you out of your perplexity.

"Shit, boss!"

The man in the fedora snapped his head in your direction and cracked his knuckles, "Oh for fuck's sake, is this damned night going to get any worse?" He looked at one of the tall men and signaled towards you, "Go get her Droog." The man in question gave a crooked smile and began walking slowly in your direction, the rest waved you off as an inconvenience and focused once again on trying to capture the troll who was now growling in a deep low tone.

You gave a step back, cold shivers run down your spine, in your mind courses of action streamed; you wanted to run away, hide in your room and cry the shock out of your body-- But, you couldn't just leave this troll to their luck and pretend nothing had happened.

You gripped the branch tightly turning your knuckles white, a rush of adrenaline shot through your body and you ran towards the man who was calmly making his way to you, the flood of stress made you felt like flying over the pavement. The tall man wasn't expecting your sudden change of demeanor, you took advantage of this and leaped through the window of surprise, you angled your body and hit his head with the branch as hard as you could, the momentum of the impact knocked him to the floor and you choked on air, trying not to hyperventilate.

The troll who so far had only hissed and snapped their fangs menacingly at the other men, reluctant to fight, witnessed your actions and made up their mind. They lunged at the neck of the other tall man growling and biting down hard on the flesh, the man screamed and grabbed the troll by their hair trying in vain not to suffocate. You focused your attention on the small goon who upon seeing your actions, ran towards you with the taser gun on, which emitted an electric blue light and intimidating buzzing sound.

You threw the branch and ran away trying to confuse him. It was one thing to launch yourself at an unarmed man, but an electric gun? You had zero possibilities against that.

You raced towards the mouth of the alleyway, putting some distance between you and the short-legged goon. When you reached the van obscuring the scene in the alley, you rushed around it and plastered yourself on the side of the van facing the street, hiding from the goon. You placed your hand in your chest trying to regain your breath, you could still hear the snarls and curses from the other side of the alley.

You quickly crouched and crawled under the van, when the small man reached your hiding spot he saw nobody. You got out from under the other side of the van and ran towards the troll, who was fighting off the man with the fedora, the goon he had attacked previously laid motionless at his feet. You gagged as you rushed besides the man you had knocked out, he was still on the floor, a pool of blood streaming from a gash on his head.

The troll was in the floor with the man on top of him trying to slice their neck open, you saw the troll snap their tail swiftly at the man's head and heard a sickening crack before he dropped the body on the floor. A fountain of blood streamed down the man's open head and you saw a glint of silver in the pavement, besides the troll's head, you launched yourself at the gun and aimed it at the small goon running towards you, you didn't even know if it was loaded.

You chocked when you saw the small man staring at his boss' body on the pavement, he froze and dropped the taser gun, raising his hands, "Oh god, please, please don't kill me!" You felt like puking, you didn't want to kill this man, you just wanted to help the troll and then everything had happened, your eyes and lungs burned-

Then you felt a warm hand around your ankle.

Your reflexes quicked in and you tried to release your leg from the hand, but before you could step on it you saw the troll staring up at you, breathing heavily, their-- his black hair matted and dirty, red eyes blazing filled with firmness, "Just let him go" the troll muttered, voice strained and sore from the snarling.

With shaky hands, you lowered the gun and glared at the man, he seemed to get the message but vacillated over escaping or helping his wounded boss and camerades; just for a split second, before he ran away.

When the man was out of sight (leaving the van behind), the lukewarm calloused hand released your ankle. You captchalogued the gun and kneeled beside the troll, he was panting heavily and the smell of burnt meat filled your nostrils, you chocked down nausea and offered your hand to help him sit up straight.

He stared at you warily before accepting your help, underdeveloped gills fluttering anxiously in his neck, was this some sort of seadweller? Not that you knew much about troll anatomy mind you, but you were pretty sure those had fins instead of long almost elfin ears. His hand had a black pelt that degraded into grey fur which covered the rest of his body, he had bright wine colored carapace-like plates protecting his upper back and the outside of his arms, his chest and lower neck were covered in a big soft coat of jet fur with red reflects, movement next to your leg caught your eye, his tail swayed back and forth, a black fluff of hair at the end from where a sharp and brilliant red pincer emerged.

You were fretting over what to do with him, he was clearly in pain and needed your help, but before you could have another mental breakdown he interrupted you. "We need to help them," he muttered, you had clearly heard him wrong, "I'm sorry?" You whispered, raising your eyebrows, he looked at you blankly "I said that we need to get help for this men before they die," You clenched your jaw "What!?" You half-whispered-half-hissed, afraid even the lowest sound could wake them up, "We need to help  _you_ first, then we can-- I don't know, call the police and tell them we heard shouting and screams in the street." The troll frowned at your answer.

"No, we can see to my wounds when these men have received the help they need" he replied stubbornly, you placed your face between your hands and silently screamed, for all you really cared you just wanted to get the hell out of this alley, you looked at the troll through your fingers and he was observing you patiently, pressing a hand against his side and acting like the dripping red blood running over his side was no big deal.

Goddamnit.

You ran one of your hands through your hair, you didn't want to call the police with your phone, in case they traced the call back to you through some weird GPS thing. You stood up and helped the troll to his feet supporting his unburned side, he was reluctant to leave the alley until you told him you were going to find a booth.

"What's this  _booth_?" He asked raising an eyebrow and narrowing his eyes suspiciously.

You ignored how smooth his pelt felt under your fingertips, "A magical chamber from where we are going to call the police anonymously." Apparently, the answer seemed to satisfy him if at least make him a bit less defensive, he retorted with how 'One shouldn't assume how the terminology of their culture is universal to all races and castes', still, he complied and you both got out of the godforsaken alleyway.

You scanned the street up and down searching for a booth, the low breathing of the troll trying not to lean his whole weight against you didn't exactly calm your nerves, you could also swear that the warm dampness on the hand supporting his side was blood, you need to be quick.

You could swear you had seen a booth near the entrance of your apartment when you first arrived, you leave the entrance of the alley behind, and not long after see the unmistakable rectangular shape. A cold droplet alls on your nose and you shudder, you manage to open the crystal door and help the troll inside, he supports himself against the interior of the booth while you busy yourself with the dial.

You breathe in and decide to call the local police.

"Goodnight, what's your emergency?" A female voice answers.

You swallowed the lump of anxiousness down your throat and faked a worried voice, not a hard job in your state, "Hi? I'm sorry-- I was returning home from work when I heard men shouting, next thing I knew they are threatening each other with guns. I'm hiding, but I don't know what to do ma'am, I'm scared." The troll looked at you scandalized by your torrent of lies, you saw him open his mouth and you glared at him shooshing him, he huffed and with a mortified expression busied himself with his side, applying pressure on the burnt, red triplets of blood staining the floor.

"Miss, are you there? Are you safe?" Your attention snapped back at the phone call, "Yes," you said, way too fast. "Yes, I'm inside a booth not too far away from where I heard the fight." Tiny raindrops started streaming down the crystal sides of the booth, and from the corner of your eye you saw the troll shudder, "Alright Miss, we are going to send a unit to your location, be sure to stay safe and hidden before they arrive." You thanked the policewoman and hung the phone.

You focused back on the troll, "We need to get--" his eyes were closed and he was resting his head against the crystal, a painful expression on his face. You gently touched his arm and he stared down at you through half-lidded eyes.

"May I see?" You said weirdly embarrassed, gesturing to his side, he blinked and reluctantly took his hand away from the burnt. You were no doctor but  _that_ needed to get cleaned and bandaged as soon as you could. You gently tried to clean the skin around the burn with the sleeve of your jacket, he shut his jaw and tried not to flinch. "You shouldn't apply pressure," you told him, "let's just get to my apartment, I can help you better there."

"Shouldn't we wait for the police to arrive?" He asked you, a wave of compassion rushed through you, if the police found a troll near -god forbid- dead humans...

They'll definitely put him down.

You patted his arm and stared up at him, "No, we need to get out of here before they arrive," he furrowed his brows, "But-"

"No! We have done everything we can to help the people who almost killed us so," he flinched at your sudden rise in voice, ears flat against his head, you clenched your fists and breathed in deeply- "Let's just get out of here, please?" your voice cracked and you stared at him with pleading eyes. He eyed you conflicted before looking away and muttering an okay.

You glanced outside, water was pouring on the street now. You took off your jacket and attempted to place it around his head in hopes to shield him from the rain, he refused profusely. "Dude, just take it, you're in way worse shape than I am." He stared skeptically at you "It's bold of you to assume that just because I'm wounded I'm in worse condition than you. Just food for thought if there's a next time, in fact, statistically we trolls have a higher endurance than most humans." you gaped at him not really caring about any of what was coming out of his mouth, he glimpsed your expression and cleared his throat, "Though I can see why you wouldn't know this, and taking in mind my current state-"

"Alright, alright, I get it." You wore the jacket back on and he looked annoyed at you, "You know, it's really triggering to interrupt someone when they are trying to enlighten you on a subject, though I'm sorry if for some reason I offended you. I shouldn't have implicated that you are physically weaker than me just because--" You narrowed your eyes at him and he shut his mouth.

You opened the door of the booth and helped him again lean back against you. Cold air breezed around you and the warmth of his body against your side was comforting-- You really shouldn't be thinking about this now.

You made your way towards your portal and shielded yourselves from the rain and cold in the entrance, "Alright, my roommate is inside my apartment, and I don't want her to panic and call the cops," he shuffled his fur trying to get the teardrops out of it, "because they'll probably blame you for what happened." He looked at you and furrowed his brows, you could feel a headache approaching.

"Blame me? Why would the blame me? I have to admit that perhaps I was somewhat aggressive in defending my self, but, everything we did was self-defense." You ran a hand through your damp hair and avoided his gaze, "Yes, I know, but if worse comes to worse, those assholes will only have to pay money... While you could be put down." He stared at you wide-eyed "What?..." You sighed and pressed the number to your apartment, "Look I know is unfair, believe me when I say I wish it wasn't this way-- So please, bear with me and try to walk as quietly as you can." He nodded absentmindedly, his eyes unfocused and set in a faraway place, you thanked whatever god was up there listening for a bit of peace and quiet.

"Yes? Who's this?" A smooth voice asked you from the interphone, "Rose! It's me, (Y/n), I may have forgotten my keys in my room," you laughed nervously but received no answer, "would you mind opening the door?" You didn't hear any sort of reply, but the entrance's door buzzed and you pressed your hands against the crystal motioning with your head so the troll would get inside. He seemed pretty shaken over your previous conversation and you wanted to bang your head against the wall for being so insensitive sometimes, you closed the door behind you.

"Hey" you gently touched his arm and he looked down at you, red glazy eyes matching your own. "What I said before about you being put down, It's not going to happen.  _I_  won't let it happen." He huffed and crossed his arm over his chest, raising an eyebrow " I highly doubt a lone human could singlehandedly protect a troll against a whole court." You pressed the elevator's button.

"Oh boy, you haven't seen me mad"

He rolled his eyes, though the corner of his mouth pulled up slightly. You got inside the elevator and pressed the button to your apartment's floor, you let your head rest against the elevator's wall and sighed.

"I'm sorry," you said, he looked quizzically at you, "Whatever for?" You shrugged and looked at your reflection, geez, you needed some rest, "It just felt like the right thing to say." He stared at you and an awkward silence filled the small cubicle, "What should I call you?" you asked.

"Signless" he answered briefly, you weren't one to judge but that wasn't a common name. "I'm (Y/n), is your name some sort of title?" The elevator finally reached your floor and he hummed, lost in thought, "I guess you could say that." His side still looked quite painful, but he seemed more at ease.

"Alright," you whispered, "Hide in the stairs while I go and see if my roommate has opened the door, or if it's closed, in that case..." What, were you just going to stay in the door like a creep until she went away?

"You know what, let's just hope the door is opened." He didn't seem too thrilled with the idea, he just looked like a lost boy your age. You touched his forearm lightly and felt the warmth of his body underneath his fur, you gulped. "Look I'm not going to leave you behind, I just don't want things to go downhill." He looked at your hand and you took it away chuckling nervously, he seemed crossed about something but replied, "I still think a talk with your roommate is in order if the first thing she does upon seeing a stranger is to call the local police." A wave of relief washed through you and you smiled faintly, "Who knows, maybe you'll get a chance to do that."

You walked towards your door swiftly and noticed it wasn't locked in place, you breathed out and scanned the room quickly, the whole place was completely dark and nobody seemed to be inside. You raised your hand and Signless made his way to your side, you brought a finger to your lips and he huffed, you snorted and batted his forearm, he was about to scold you but you had quietly made your way towards the hallway leading to your room, he rubbed his eyes and followed close behind.

Roses' door was closed and you sneaked towards your own room, you opened the door and waited until Signless was inside before closing it and placing the latchet in place, sirens blared in the distance and you looked at him.

"There you have your policemen aiding, oh! Those in need." He ignored your comment and looked around your room in wonder before replying "Just because someone has done wrong doesn't mean they deserve to die." You entered your bathroom and flickered the light on, "Even if the tried to kill us?" you asked, he leaned against the bathroom's door and crossed his arms.

"Yes."

You held his gaze for a moment, maybe he was right, but was it really fair to let those who tried to kill you live? Your gut churned at the thought of those men roaming the streets, they should definitely have to pay for their actions in some sort of way, they'd probably just say a troll attacked them and walk away with no more than a fee to pay.

You washed your face and then signaled to the burn on his side "The best thing to do is apply cold water, try not to put pressure on it, you can take a bath and I'll put a gash on the burn when you're done. I'm sure you're hungry, I'll go get something."

Before you could step out of the bathroom he placed a hand on your forearm, trying to mimic your previous actions with him, "Thank you." He murmured bashfully, he noticed the weird expression on your face, "Is this not something humans do to pacify each other?" You snorted and placed a hand on your face, "Oh my god, you're such a dork." He huffed indignantly, the black puff of hair in his chest and shoulders raising, "I'm trying to be culturally sensitive." The tips of his ears had turned bright red and you smiled placing a hand over his own, "Thank you then." His tail swayed back and forth and you noticed how his pupils were starting to dilate, you felt blood rush to your face and coughed burning red, he took away his hand and you signaled somewhere behind his back, "The towels are there." You said before walking out and closing the bathroom door behind you.

Oh god, this boy is going to be the death of you. You breathe in and somewhat regain your composure before shaking the thoughts out of your head. Right now what he needs is a reliable person until he takes his leave, you won't take advantage of his situation. He needs a friend, not more problems.

You open your room's door and walk to the kitchen, trying in vain to tune out the sirens in the street. You should have asked him what trolls eat before stomping out of the bathroom. You preheat some beef and dump in a plate the meat and some vegetables, before taking a bottle of water and walking back to your room.

When you get inside you decide to not place the latch because, honestly, Rose has kept her distance so far and you doubt she'll stomp in your room tomorrow. The bathroom's door is open and Signless is inside, looking at his horns in the mirror. His ears perk up and he notices you staring at him, he coughs awkwardly and steps inside your room.

He looks way better than before, his pelt is shining bright and you actually realize that his chest is well toned-- The burn in his side looks less swollen too! You hand him the plate and water, trying to act as casually as you can, before searching for healing supplies in your bathroom. "You can sit in my bed while you eat, I don't mind. I wasn't really sure what trolls ate--" You look back at him wolfing down the plate and decide to leave him be, you take a gauze and sit in the chair of your room until he's finished.

When he's done, he humbly gives you the plate and empty bottle of water, you place those on the floor before kneeling next to his injured side, "This may hurt a bit because the zone is probably tender." He looks down at you and nods raising both his arms while you work your way around him. You gently place a sterile gauze gently over the burn and bandages around his waist. Your face is definitely not burning from how close you are to him, or how well you can feel the warmth radiating from his body, actually, you try to focus on how close the claw of his swaying tail is about to rip the paint out of your wall.

You stand up and dust our pants off nonexistent dust, "Well, I'm no doctor, but I'm sure that will do just fine." Yo try to give your best confident smile, Signless stared at your handiwork, "I must admit that I was reluctant about following you back to your hive" he says, you frown at him,  _what the fuck's a hive,_  "though I generally like to give others the chance of doubt, regardless of who they are, it's sometimes hard to not... Place all humans under the same banner." He chuckles harshly and places a hand on his face, "Gog, I'm the first to chastise the rest about injustices but just look at me, such a hypocrite." His voice breaks and you can't just help yourself.

You hug the boy.

"It's not what we think what matters," you try to keep a hold of your voice but it still wavers, you also try to ignore the flaring of your face, "but the things we decide to do, you're a great boy. Heck, not even three hours ago you decided to help the guys who tried to kill us." He sighs bitterly and you rub the back of his neck in what you assume is a comforting way, he presses his forehead against your shoulder and his hair tickles your neck, you fail to suppress down a shiver.

"Thank you" he mutters, you hum and focus on the bright red plates that cover his shoulders and the hypnotic sway of his tail.

"I'm not kicking you out or anything," you begin, "you can stay for as long as you need, but, what do you plan to do?" You take a step back so he has room to breathe and you have time to calm down. He looks out your window before staring down at his black palms. "I don't remember anything else before being captive and held in a cage. Those humans drugged me somehow and dragged me outside the building, towards the van, they probably used a wrong dose, because I remember regaining my consciousness. Then I saw the city lights in the distance and ran." His eyes were unfocused and he was sitting very still, long lost in some horrible memory, "I'm not really sure how I ended up in that alleyway." You take one of his hands in your own and he snaps out of his trance looking at you with fire in his eyes. "I know there were other trolls with me, I need to get to them, I-- I want to help my people live, not this excuse for a life we have." You nod understandingly and he stands up clutching your hand.

"Will you help me?"

Wait, what.

You're taken aback by his sudden... Request? Is he really serious? He's holding your hand with big red hopeful eyes and you stammer, "I-- I mean, is a great idea, don't get me wrong, I love idealism, but..." His ears are straight up and the intensity of his gaze is making your heart do weird fluttery things.

"Do you really think we both can make a change?" He quirks his head and smiles warmly at you, "There's only one way to find out." You look at your intertwined hands and nod, suddenly, he grabs you by the waist spinning your around your room, he's beaming and talking about so many things that you can't really focus on one, you try telling him that he's going to hurt his side before he hisses and places you down, clutching the bandages on his side.

"Are you alright?" You ask worried, his actions seem to cascade down on him and he laughs nervously, tail swaying dangerously fast behind his back. "Yes, my bad, I don't know what came over me." He says breathless, you roll your eyes and pat his shoulder, he smiles widely and your heart skips a beat.

This boy is definitely going to be the death of you.


End file.
